About

Dr. Barbara L. Voss is a Professor of Anthropology at Stanford University. She is affiliated with multiple programs including the Stanford Archaeology Center, the Center for Comparative Studies of Race and Ethnicity, the Program on Asian American Studies, the Program on Urban Studies, and the Program on Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her research areas include Anthropology & the Arts, Gender and Sexuality, and Race, Ethnicity, and Collective Identity. Dr. Voss's work focuses on the archaeology of Chinese immigrant and Chinese American communities, colonialism, and the Chinese diaspora, with particular attention to material culture and social-environmental trauma. She has contributed to understanding transnational lives of Chinese railroad workers, colonial encounters, and the social effects of race and racism in archaeological contexts.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Political Science
• History
• Law
• Social Science
• Archaeology
• Criminology
• Public relations
• Gender studies
• Social psychology
• Art
• Psychology
• Anthropology

Selected publications

• Strategies and Tactics for Addressing Interpersonal Abuses of Power in Archaeology:

  Archaeopress Publishing Ltd eBooks · 2025-08-21

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Transformative Relationships and Enduring Partnerships in Archaeological Practice

  Berghahn Books · 2024-01-06

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• 13. Transformative Relationships and Enduring Partnerships in Archaeological Practice

  Berghahn Books · 2024-01-24 · 1 citations

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Race and Racism in Archaeologies of Chinese American Communities

  Annual Review of Anthropology · 2022 · 18 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding
  • Sociology
  • Gender studies
  • Sociology

  This article provides a critical review of archaeological research that addresses race and racism in Chinese American communities. Future directions for Chinese diaspora archaeologies include employing an Asian American studies praxis that centers community-engaged research, using diasporic frameworks, and applying emic language to naming material culture and identities. Other innovative archaeological scholarship on the racialization of Chinese Americans reframes Chinese American communities as part of larger multiethnic neighborhoods, highlights gender and sexuality, and traces the transpacific connections of Chinese transmigrants. The interventions outlined provide archaeologists who are engaged in the study of the Chinese American past with the pathways needed to begin practicing antiracist Chinese diaspora archaeologies.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Genetic aspects for the behaviour of lactating sows towards humans

  animal · 2022-06-13 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access

  With the keeping of lactating sows in loose housing systems, ensuring work safety for stockpersons is gaining importance. Aim of the present study was to develop tests characterising the behaviour of lactating sows in farrowing environments with more freedom to move. The behaviour towards humans in different management procedures was examined. Emphasis was given to integrate tests into daily routines. The study was conducted in a nucleus herd with 771 purebred Landrace sows. Data were collected from October 2016 until December 2018. Sows were kept in individual indoor pens with movable farrowing crates in which the animals were restrained from 7 days antepartum (ap) to an average of 7 days postpartum (pp). The Dummy Arm Test (DAT; 1444 observations) was used to assess the sows’ reaction towards a stockperson handling the piglets around day 4 pp (closed crates). With the Towel Test (TT; 2846 observations), the reaction of sows to a novel object and an unexpected situation was assessed. The Trough Cleaning Test (TCT; 2805 observations) described the sows’ response to common procedures such as trough cleaning. TT and TCT were conducted on days 3 pp (closed crates) and 10 pp (open crates). Variance components of behavioural traits were estimated univariately with a linear animal model, and genetic correlations between traits were derived using a multivariate animal model in ASreml 3.0. Most sows showed no or only a slight reaction to human interactions without attempting to attack them. However, a strong defensive reaction of sows was recorded in 4.0% (TCT), 4.5% (TT), and 10.7% (DAT) of observations. This behaviour of sows was observed more frequently in the open than in the closed pen system. Estimates of heritabilities (h2 ± SE) were h2 = 0.17 ± 0.05 for behaviour of sows towards humans (DAT), h2 = 0.19 ± 0.04 for response of sows towards unexpected situations (TT), and h2 = 0.13 ± 0.04 for reactions of animals to TCT. Genetic correlations (rg ± SE) ranged from rg = 0.59 ± 0.37 between TT and TCT to rg = 0.77 ± 0.30 between TT and DAT. Our results show that the developed tests are suitable for assessing the behaviour of sows towards humans. Behavioural traits derived from these tests could be used as new phenotypes for the genetic selection of gentle and easy-to-handle sows. The genetic correlations of all tests studied were positive indicating related reaction patterns.

  PublisherDOI

• Documenting Cultures of Harassment in Archaeology: A Review and Analysis of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Studies

  American Antiquity · 2021 · 57 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Sociology
  • Political Science
  • Archaeology

  This article is the first of a two-part series to analyze current research on harassment in archaeology. Harassment has shaped the discipline of archaeology since at least the late 1800s. Since the 1970s, harassment has been recognized as a significant factor impacting gender equity in archaeology. Recent qualitative and quantitative research has verified that harassment occurs at epidemic rates in archaeology. Archaeologists are primarily harassed by other archaeologists, and harassment occurs not only in field research settings but also in classrooms, laboratories, museums, office workplaces, and conferences. Although women in archaeology experience a higher frequency of harassment, both men and women report harassment at disturbingly high rates. Archaeologists of color, LGBTQIA+ archaeologists, nonbinary archaeologists, and archaeologists with disabilities are also disproportionately harassed. As reflected in the author's own career experiences, harassment creates a cognitive burden for survivors and reduces access to professional opportunities, directly impacting diversity within archaeology. Fortunately, there are evidence-based interventions and policies that can reduce harassment and support survivors. These are discussed in the second article, “Disrupting Cultures of Harassment in Archaeology.”

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Feminismos, teorias queer e o estudo arqueológico de sexualidades passadas

  Revista Arqueologia Pública · 2021-06-28 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  A Arqueologia enfrenta o desafio singular de esticar as teorias sociais da sexualidade em novas direções cronológicas e metodológicas. Este ensaio utiliza uma análise de práticas citacionais para considerar como as teorias queer e feminista se articulam com investigações arqueológicas sobre sexualidade. Tanto a teoria queer quanto as práticas arqueológicas feministas aparecem como ferramentas poderosas que podem ser usadas para expandir interpretações arqueológicas de gênero e sexualidade.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Behavioral Observation Procedures and Tests to Characterize the Suitability of Sows for Loose-Housed Farrowing Systems

  Animals · 2021-08-30 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access

  The objective of the study was to evaluate behavioral observation procedures and tests to characterize sows' behavior for their suitability for free farrowing systems. Nest building activity (NB), lying-down behavior (LDB), and position after lying down (PLD) were assessed. Four tests were designed to characterize the reaction of sows to a novel object and an unexpected situation (Towel Test, TT), behavior towards humans (Dummy Arm Test, DAT; Trough Cleaning Test, TCT), and behavior towards piglets (Reunion Test, RT). The study was performed on a nucleus farm in 37 batches including 771 purebred landrace sows housed in farrowing pens with short-term fixation. The assessment of NB started 2 days before the expected date of the farrowing. In 56.2% of the observations, the sows showed increased chewing activity on gunnysacks. The LDB and PLD were assessed on days 3 and 19 post partum (p.p.). In 49.1% of the observations, sows showed careful lying-down behavior. In 50.1% of cases, sows preferred the stomach-teats-position when lying down. With the DAT on day 4 p.p., in 89.3% of observations, no or only slight reactions of the sow were documented. The TT and TCT were performed on days 3 and 10 p.p. Strong defensive reactions of animals towards humans were recorded in 4.5% of the observations in the TT, and in 4.0% of the observations in the TCT. In the RT on day 3 p.p., in 61.8%, a joyful response of the sows to the reunion with their piglets was observed. This study showed that the behavioral observation procedures and designed tests are suitable to characterize sows' behavior towards humans and piglets with regard to traits that are particularly important in systems without fixation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Documentación de culturas del acoso en la arqueología: Revisión y análisis de estudios de investigación cuantitativa y cualitativa

  Latin American Antiquity · 2021-11-17 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Este artículo, el primero de una serie de dos, analiza la investigación actual sobre el acoso en la arqueología que ha dado forma a la disciplina desde finales de 1800. A partir de la década de 1970, el acoso se reconoce como un factor significativo que afecta la equidad de género. Investigaciones cualitativas y cuantitativas recientes han verificado que el acoso ocurre a tasas epidémicas, en tanto les arqueólogues son acosades, principalmente por otres arqueólogues, y esto ocurre no sólo en entornos de investigación de campo, sino también en aulas, laboratorios, museos, lugares de trabajo y conferencias. Aunque las mujeres en la arqueología experimentan acoso con mayor frecuencia, las cifras de hombres como de mujeres informan de acoso en proporciones inquietantemente altas. Les arqueólogues de color, LGBTQIA+, no binarios y con discapacidades también son hostigades de manera desproporcionada. Como se refleja en las propias experiencias de la autora, el acoso crea una carga cognitiva para les sobrevivientes y reduce el acceso a oportunidades profesionales, impactando directamente en la diversidad dentro de la arqueología. Afortunadamente, existen intervenciones y políticas basadas en evidencia que pueden reducir esta práctica y apoyar a les sobrevivientes, lo que se analiza en el segundo artículo, “Contra las culturas del acoso en la arqueología: Enfoques socioambientales y basados en el trauma para la transformación disciplinaria”.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Short Communication: Phenotypic relationship between organ lesions and carcass performance traits recorded in different abattoirs

  Livestock Science · 2021-11-16

  article
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Theodore J. Pysher

  Intermountain Healthcare

  9 shared

• G. Bennett Humphrey

  9 shared

• Kathy A. Mangold

  NorthShore University HealthSystem

  9 shared

• Karen L. Kaul

  8 shared

• Uta König von Borstel

  University of Giessen

  6 shared

• Megan S. Kane

  Stanford University

  5 shared

• Lance R. Peterson

  5 shared

• Kristine Santiano

  St. George's University

  5 shared

Labs

• Market Street Chinatown Archaeological ProjectPI